Tales Of The Taira Clan (Shin heike monogatari1955) is Kenji Mizoguchi's second color feature and his second to last film. It is yet another historical-based drama that was adapted from a historical novel by Eiji Yoshikawa. It is a Rashomon-style story in which the the protagonist, Kiyomori (Raizo Ichikawa) the son of a samurai who doesn't know the his true birth origins (he is told three stories from various people) before he learns that he is the bastard son of the former emperor. Essentially, it is the story of the samurai uprising in the 11th century when they serve the emperor, but suffer penury because power is divided between the monks of the temple of Hiei and the Emperor's advisers are trying to keep the samurai under control and out of power. I think this film is one of Mizoguchi's best due to the combination of a compelling narrative and Mizoguchi's cinematic artistry which elevates it from some of his other late period films in story strength-it seems he was extremely consistent in producing memorable images through his cinematic interpretations of what sometimes were mediocre scripts. This film has any number of arresting images: the opening crane shot that move through a market to the entrance of the arrogant monk entourage, the forest attack scene as well as other sumptuous battle scenes. Throughout the film there are various examples of Mizoguchi and cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa's inventive and original cinematography with shots from behind flames, curtains, framed doorways and in nature. Mizoguchi was truly at his peak in his late period, after this film he would make only one more film and end his career on a high note with the masterful Street of Shame.
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The film just seems to end. I imagine they were planning a Pt. 2
Posted by: ted | May 16, 2015 at 09:00 AM